Continuo Connect — Profile // Saraband

Saraband is an ensemble that expands from just two violins to a larger group including:
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Sarah Bealby-Wright - violin
Henrietta Wayne - violin ​
​Johan Löfving - theorbo/guitar
Jacob Garside -cello/viola da gamba

Saraband specialise in music that would have been heard in the grand houses, sitting rooms, coffee houses, taverns and streets of the 17th and 18th centuries. In their programmes the music is woven together with entertaining and interesting snippets that take the audience into the wider cultural background from which the music springs. Much inspiration has come from playing regularly in English Heritage’s Kenwood House, with its music room hanging with portraits of 18th century ladies by Reynolds, Gainsborough, Hoppner and Romney. Saraband love to delve into the connections between venue, paintings, people and music, digging around for lost music that tells the bigger story and sharing their findings with the audience.

Kenwood House audience comments:

'The concert played today was amazing. The tale, the story, the ambiance.....everything was ALIVE in the moment.'

'Fantastic! I particularly love being able to hear the history and stories behind the music. It makes them come alive. Brilliant selection and presentation! A joy to listen to.'

As well as performing regularly at Kenwood House in Hampstead with our programmes inspired by the house and its art works we have played at Wellington's Apsley House, Pepy's church, the Foundling Museum and various Taverns about town. Later this year we will be coming to Marble Hill, home and famous party venue of Henrietta Howard, mistress to George II, and also down the road to Chiswick House, the villa built by Lord Burlington who brought back so many treasures from his 'grand tour' including Castrucci, the leader of Handel's orchestra.
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